The real reason the Abernethy Acres trip was established was as a culmination to our "Misty of Chincoteague" unit.

Marguerite Henry wrote the fictional book about a real life place where ponies run wild. Once a year (the last Wednesday of July) the Chincoteague Fire Department in Virginia round up the wild ponies and swim them from the island of Assateague to Chincoteague. The day after the swim, the baby ponies are auctioned off to people from all over the country.

Mrs. Abernethy and her family bought Chincoteague's Sweetheart at an auction in 1995. Sweetheart and Mrs. A's daughter were featured in American Girl Magazine in 1996.